Spanish fashion retailer Mango has opened a new store in one of Luanda’s prime shopping malls, Avennida Morro Bento. Just one year after exiting Morocco, Mango is also in discussions to build a store network in the country with Nike franchisee Hudson Group, which is based in Malta.

Mango has opened a new 360m² store in the upmarket Avennida Morro Bento shopping mall in the Angolan capital, Luanda. It is the Spanish fashion retailer’s first store in Angola. Avennida Morro Bento is also home to brands including Vilebrequin, Parfois, Marta Ponti, Inglot and Lacoste. A second store is planned to open in Angola in 2020.

It marks another African market for the retailer, which operates in 51 countries and has stores in countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritius, Senegal and Namibia. It has previously had stores in Algeria, Ghana and Cameroon.

Mango’s former master franchise holder was Nesk Investment, which started to run down operations in mid 2017. Nesk Investment is a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Nesk Group of Trading Projects, which holds the master franchise for a large number of fashion brands in the country. Mango exited Morocco in 2018.

The new discussions are with Maltese retailer and distributor Hudson Group. Hudson Group represents a range of fashion and sportswear brands including Nike, Timberland, River Island, Ted Baker, Kiabi and Benetton in Malta. It also runs the Nike, Timberland and Kiabi franchises in Morocco. Under proposed plans, Hudson will open Mango stores in Casablanca, Fez, Tangier and Marrakech.